In modern motor vehicles, provisions for fold-out trays or other usable surfaces that can be extended or otherwise deployed for supporting, and/or using various objects or devices (e.g., portable consumer electronic devices, “smart” phones, tablets, digital music storage/player devices, and other such objects) are being provided with increasingly frequency. Often such provisions are arranged in the vehicle interior, particularly in the areas of the backseat or the dashboard where more space is available for packaging and using the fold-out tray or other usable surface.
In one example, disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0266779 by Mozar et al., a fold-up tray is provided in a backseat area of a motor vehicle. The tray is exposed when stored in a folded-up condition clipped against an outer surface of an interior bolster trim area. For use, a backseat occupant unclips the folded-up tray from the interior bolster trim area, manually unfolds the tray, and positions the unfolded tray on an armrest area adjacent, to the interior bolster trim area, in the unfolded condition, the tray has a usable surface that the backseat occupant can use for supporting various objects, devices, or the like. Unfortunately, such an arrangement requires excessive interior space for storing and using the fold-up tray and further, is limited for practical use in the backseat area of the motor vehicle. Additionally, the fold-up tray is fully exposed when stored along the outer surface of the interior bolster trim area, which is aesthetically undesirable.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an assembly for an interior of a motor vehicle which can provide a usable surface that can be extended or otherwise deployed for supporting an object which overcomes one or more of the foregoing issues. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present disclosure will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taker in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.